In the mountain forests of Nepal, Sikkim, total South China and Indochina, in Taiwan, Sumatra, Kalimantan /according to some sources - in Java/ clouded leopards live. They are painted very beautifully: a black marble pattern on a bright yellow or yellow-gray background. The height of a small ordinary leopard /weight - 20 kilograms/. After many disputes, these leopards were identified as a special genus. Clouded leopards combine in their anatomy some features of both large and small cats, occupying an intermediate position between them. For example, their pupils are ovoid, not round, like those of big cats. Clouded leopards have a larynx similar to that of small cats, which is why they are able to purr. But they can also growl. During the day, clouded leopards sleep in trees, at night they hunt large birds, and sometimes attack sika deer. The marbled cat is a miniature copy of the clouded leopard! It is also colored, has the same long tail and is close in origin, but almost half the size.

Birth is always wonderful. The birth of a rare species is even more wonderful. It gives hope for new world, for something light and warm. Zookeepers in Virginia had similar thoughts when one of the critically endangered female clouded leopards finally gave birth to two remarkable cubs. Over the past 16 years, not a single cub has been born at the zoo, and the birth of this couple gave new hope to create a healthy population of rare clouded leopards.


Zookeepers observed the pregnancy of this two-year-old female leopard, Yao Chu, for five days. This is Yao Chu's first litter. She and her cubs' father, two-year-old leopard Hannibal, were born in Thailand as a result of a joint program with the Zoological Park of Thailand. (Mehgan Murphy / Smithsonian's National Zoo)

Hannibal is the father of two adorable cubs. She and Yao Chu are the only compatible pair of clouded leopards in this conservation and research center. (Mehgan Murphy / Smithsonian's National Zoo)

Born at the National Zoo in Front Royal, Virginia, on March 24, the clouded leopard pair became the center's first in 16 years. In this photo, the cubs are just one day old and are preparing to eat, which happens every three hours. (Mehgan Murphy / Smithsonian's National Zoo)

In this photo, one of the newly born clouded leopard cubs is weighed while feeding. Raising clouded leopards in captivity is not easy due to aggression from males, decreased breeding rates between pairs and high level mortality among cubs. (Mehgan Murphy/ / Smithsonian's National Zoo)

The center's experts monitor the newborn cubs. The zoo team learned to reduce the risk of fatalities by introducing males to their partners from six months of age, allowing the pair to grow up together. In this case, the cubs were quickly removed from their mother after birth. (Mehgan Murphy/ / Smithsonian's National Zoo)

The zoo has been working with clouded leopards since 1978 with the sole goal of creating a genetically correct and healthy population of these animals. (Jessie Cohen / Smithsonian's National Zoo)

Over the past 30 years, more than 70 clouded leopards have been born at the zoo, with the last litter born in 1993. (Lisa Ware / Smithsonian's National Zoo)

Clouded leopards live in Southeast Asia but are endangered due to hunting and deforestation. At birth they weigh about 230 grams and eventually gain up to 22 kg. The tail is half the length of the body. (Jessie Cohen / Smithsonian's National Zoo)
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Contrary to its name, this predator is not directly related to real leopards.
This is the largest of the medium-sized cats, approximately the size of a Labrador.
His body is elongated, flexible, his fur is thick, his legs are short, with wide paws and hard, bare calluses, convenient for climbing trees.
The tail is especially large, heavy, furry, occupying almost half the length of the body, although representatives of the Taiwanese clouded leopards have a noticeably shorter tail, its length no more than 3/8 of the total size of the animal.
The eyes are yellow.
Its fangs are larger than other cats in proportion to its body size, and this may be an adaptation for holding on to prey caught in trees, a more difficult feat than catching prey on the ground.

The long fangs make it easy to kill caught prey, often requiring only a single bite. The structure of the teeth is similar to the fangs of prehistoric saber-toothed cats, which is why it is sometimes classified as a modern “saber-toothed” cat: their upper canines can reach 4.4 cm in length. Interestingly, the clouded leopard's jaws can open wider than those of any other cat.
The clouded leopard is immediately recognizable by its characteristic color. The main color of the fur is light yellow to rich brown. Spots of unequal shape are dark brown or black, lighter in the middle, and also lighter shadows around the spots. The chest and belly are light or white with a small amount spots There are dark brown or black elongated spots on the neck and back. The ears are black, with a white spot in the middle. The tail is colored with non-joining black rings.
Body length 69-108 cm. Tail length: 75-90 cm (average 82 cm, while for males it is 81-108 cm (average 99 cm).
Weight: The weight of the animal is from 10 to 23 kg, sometimes up to 30 kg. Females weigh about 11 kg, while males weigh 18 - 20 kg (average 19 kg). Males can be more than twice the size of females - this biggest difference size between sexes in the cat family.
Lifespan: In captivity, clouded leopards live up to 20 years; lifespan in the wild is unknown.

Clouded leopards can roar very softly and quite quietly, as they are physiologically different from big cats, which can roar very loudly. Besides clouded leopard can purr.
The clouded leopard is a typical inhabitant of the dense forests tropical forests, partly thickets of bushes and swamps, where it lives mainly on trees. It lives deep in rain or arid forests located at altitudes up to 2500 meters above sea level.
The clouded leopard's natural enemies are larger cats. Thus, on the island of Borneo, perhaps due to the absence of tigers and leopards, their highest numbers are noted. Deforestation due to commercial logging and the growth of human settlements poses a major threat to the leopard.
The clouded leopard is largely specialized in hunting birds, but, in addition to them, it feeds on deer, monkeys, wild pigs, goats, porcupines, palm civets, and can attack young buffalos and cattle. Sometimes they supplement their diet with reptiles, fish and other living creatures.
Leopards in captivity in a zoo are fed food provided by the diet of a carnivore, but in addition, they are always given large bones of ungulates (joints with fingers) for gnawing. At the zoo, they often get a special treat in the form of popsicles: chunks of papaya frozen in ice blocks!
It can hunt both day and night, tracking its game on the ground or overtaking it in a jump from a tree. In Sumatra (Indonesia), the clouded leopard, which lives in areas close to human habitation, is extremely cautious and therefore behaves exclusively night look life. Leopards have good binocular vision and can see in light twilight about six times better than humans. At night, it deftly climbs and jumps through trees, with its long tail and wide feet helping it balance and maintain balance. Sometimes it jumps on its prey from branches overhanging the ground, but often hunts directly on the ground.
In search of prey, a leopard travels approximately 1-2 km per day. The clouded leopard is a good swimmer, crossing large expanses of water and found on secluded islets, and perhaps this is how it inhabited small islets from Vietnam to the island of Borneo.
In Taiwan, eyewitnesses who saw a leopard in the wild were interviewed to find out their lifestyle. As a result, it turned out that leopards were in trees 13 times and on the ground 11 times. Monitoring the movements of a sub-adult male leopard using a radio collar in Nepal for 8 consecutive days showed only the latter's terrestrial behavior. The leopard often hunted and rested in fields among dense thickets of vegetation 4 - 6 m high and tall grasses. In 1986, a survey of rural residents, forestry workers and officials forestry surveys in Sabah and Sarawak (Malaysia) showed that in 82% of sightings of a leopard in the wild, it was traveling on land, usually along roads and paths in primary or secondary forest. The team of researchers concluded that in this area, clouded leopards were not true tree dwellers, but only used the trees in the forest as a daytime resting place.
However, it should be noted that the clouded leopard is perfectly adapted to woody image life: low center of gravity, large paws with sharp claws for gripping, long tail for balancing; and the structure of the bones of its wrist and flexible ankle joints allows the leopard to grasp a tree trunk or branch in motion in much the same way as a squirrel does. Observations have shown that a leopard can move along horizontal branches while hanging upside down like a sloth, and it can even hang belly up from branches using only its hind legs.
Social structure: They lead a solitary lifestyle, except during the breeding season, when males actively seek out females. Individual hunting plots, depending on the type of habitat and its food supply, can occupy an area of ​​29 square meters. km up to 45 sq. km or more in males, and about 22-26 sq. km - in females, while neighboring areas of males and females can overlap from 30 to 47%.
Reproduction: The offspring is born in a hollow tree, there are 1-5 cubs in the litter, each weighing 140-170 grams, sometimes up to 280. The eyes open on the 10-12th day. At birth, kittens are covered with yellowish-gray fur, with adult spots appearing in the first 6 months. They develop relatively slowly. They begin to walk at about 19-20 days of age. Cubs are extremely active for the first five months after birth. At 10 and a half weeks they switch to adult (meat) food, but for another 5 months they receive mother's milk. At 9 months they are already independent from their mother and begin to lead an independent life.
Breeding leopards in captivity is very problematic and very difficult. This is due to the fact that males who are in a limited area in captivity during the mating season after mating become extremely aggressive and in almost 80% of cases attack females and kill them. Therefore, matings are successful in less than 20% of cases, while conception and successful breeding of offspring is observed even less frequently. But zoos around the world are trying to preserve the species' genetic diversity through captive breeding. To obtain viable offspring and overcome the aggressiveness of males, joint rearing of males and females from adolescence (up to 1 year) is now practiced.
Researchers in the United Kingdom believe that the best hope for successfully breeding leopards in captivity will be through artificial insemination and embryo transfers to produce healthy offspring.
Breeding season/period: Nothing is known about the breeding of clouded leopards in the wild, but in captivity breeding occurs in March-August.
Puberty: Leopards reach sexual maturity at 20 to 30 months of age.
Pregnancy: Pregnancy lasts 86-95 days, according to other sources it lasts up to 109 days.
Offspring: 1-5 cubs (usually 2-3, and only rarely up to 5)
Benefit/harm for humans: Avoids people. Over the past half century, clouded leopards have begun to appear more often in European zoos.
Because of its precious skin, the clouded leopard has been hunted a lot in the past. To make one full-length fur coat, you need up to 20-30 leopard skins.
Today, the clouded leopard is threatened by poaching. This cat is hunted not only for its fur, but also for its teeth and bones, which are highly prized in the traditional Asian medicinal trade. In addition, clouded leopard dishes are offered on the menu of restaurants in China and Thailand that cater to wealthy Asian tourists.
The clouded leopard is only occasionally persecuted for killing livestock.
Population/Conservation Status: The clouded leopard is considered a critically endangered species and is therefore listed on the International Red Book. Of the four subspecies, the Taiwanese clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa brachyurus) has already become extinct.
The entire clouded leopard population is estimated to be less than 10,000 mature individuals.
The Lukai people of Thailand believe that the clouded leopard is their spiritual ancestor who brought them to their homeland.

The clouded leopard has a number of features that bring it closer to representatives of the genus Panthera, and also has some features that make it similar to representatives of the genus Felis. Today, scientists include the clouded leopard in the panther subfamily (Pantherinae), but this cat is so distinctive that it is classified as a separate genus - Neofelis. The clouded leopard is the size of a large lynx, but is more densely built, with a more elongated body and thicker and shorter limbs. The weight of adult animals is approximately 16-25 kg, but sometimes up to 30.
The clouded leopard has an elongated skull (in some ways it resembles the skull of a jaguar), with huge fangs, especially on the upper jaw. This type of cat has the longest fangs, relative to the size of the animal.
In bright light, the pupils of a clouded leopard take on the shape of an ellipse, like those of most small cats. The vibrissae, which play the role of a tactile organ, are well developed. In the clouded leopard, like in all cats, the collarbone is connected to the chest and shoulder blade by means of elastic tendons, so its front legs are characterized by amazing freedom of movement. This structure of the forelimbs helps him skillfully climb trees and jump from branch to branch, like a monkey. He can even move along branches upside down (that is, with his back down), and descending from a tree upside down is not at all difficult for him. On occasion, he can attack a prey grazing on the ground directly from a tree. When a clouded leopard deftly jumps through the branches, it is simply an amazing sight. This is truly an unsurpassed poison dart frog among cats in its weight category. Maybe a little margay from the jungle South America, and a marbled cat from the rainforest Southeast Asia may challenge him, but both of these cats are much smaller than a clouded leopard.
The clouded leopard's tail is long and fluffy, making it appear quite thick. It serves as a kind of balancer when the cat jumps and runs along the branches. The coat is soft and quite thick, with a characteristic smoky shade, due to which it received its Russian name. In English it is called “clouded leopard”, that is, “cloudy”, since it large spots irregular shape really look like clouds.
Of the sense organs, the clouded leopard, like all cats, has the best developed vision and hearing. The sense of smell is less developed, but it also plays an important role in the life of the animal, which exchanges information with its fellows through various odors, and also marks its territory.
The clouded leopard is perfectly adapted to hunting monkeys. It even seems to me that this is why he developed such long fangs. Monkeys are known to be very dexterous animals, and even the smallest monkey strong teeth and it can cause serious injury to the attacker. Long fangs are very useful here, as they allow the cat to kill the victim in a matter of seconds, without risking its own skin.
Although the clouded leopard is specialized in hunting monkeys, they are not the only prey animals. It often hunts other arboreal animals, birds (one of the favorite foods of this predator), rodents, as well as artiodactyls (including deer, pigs, goats and even buffalo calves), etc. As a rule, the clouded leopard prefers small and nimble prey, which is why it is so dexterous and agile. But, on occasion, it can also cope with prey that is much larger than it is in size. However, he does not attack orangutans (although there are all sorts of exceptions, because it also happens that tigers or lions attack elephants), because these huge monkeys have monstrous strength and are clearly too much for the clouded leopard. But even without that, the clouded leopard has enough wide range potential victims, so he hunts both in the treetops and on the ground.
In Southeast Asia, the clouded leopard occupies approximately the same ecological niche as the ocelot in the Amazonian jungle. Therefore, these cats are very similar in behavior and appearance. Accordingly, their sizes are approximately the same, but the clouded leopard has a more powerful build.
The clouded leopard is distributed from Nepal and Southern China to Indonesia and Malaysia, where it inhabits dense tropical jungles and mountain forests.
Very little is known about the reproduction of the clouded leopard. Pregnancy lasts approximately 86-93 days, after which 2-3 kittens are born (but there can be 5). Newborns weigh about 160 grams.
The clouded leopard is listed in the International Red Book, but the species is in danger of extinction due to the destruction of its natural habitat. In addition, they reproduce very poorly in captivity.
These animals differ from most representatives of the cat family in their very flexible disposition. At proper education These cats are easily tamed and become attached to humans. In this respect it resembles snow leopard, who also has a very meek disposition.

Classification:

Family: Felidae (felines)
Subfamily: Pantherinae (panthers)
Genus: Neofelis
Species: Neofelis nebulosa (clouded leopard)

Photo gallery:

Skulls.

The clouded leopard is rightfully considered perhaps the most unusual wild cat. His place is between the small and big cats of the wild.

Description of the leopard

The skin of a leopard is covered with large spots that have different shape. The spots can be either uniformly dark or lighter around the perimeter or in the center. The skin can also be of different shades: light yellowish to deep brown. But at the same time, the belly and chest are much lighter, they are covered with sparse spots. The fur is thick and that is why the animal appears large.

Leopards are quite large animals. They reach 50 cm in height, their body is up to one meter long, and their tail is about ninety centimeters long. A medium-sized male weighs approximately 20kg, but individuals weighing 25kg can be found. Females usually weigh no more than 15 kg.

These wild cats They have quite large fangs - their length is 3.5 cm. If we take the proportions of the size of the teeth and body, we can safely say that the clouded leopard has the largest teeth compared to any other member of the cat family. Skull of a predator and elongated, eyes yellow“equipped” with oval pupils, black ears widely spaced.

This animal has a strong body, a heavy long tail and relatively short paws, the pads of which have hard calluses. Such a tail and paws enable the leopard to climb well. The predator has an excellent sense of smell and sharp eyesight.

Habitat

The habitat of clouded leopards covers the area of ​​dense subtropical and tropical forests of Asia (Southeast). They live in swamps and bushes, as well as deep in arid or rain forests, which are located at an altitude of about 2.5 thousand meters above sea level. Cats are excellent swimmers and can overcome vast expanses of water, which allows them to develop secluded islands for life.

Behavior

These animals hunt both at night and during the day. However, near human habitation they behave cautiously and are active only at night. They can ambush and jump from a tree onto their prey, or stalk it from the ground. Predators eat young buffaloes, goats, wild pigs and deer; they can attack domestic cows. They also hunt porcupines, reptiles, monkeys, fish and birds. They prefer to hunt from trees or on trees; these are the most formidable cats of all cats that get their food here.

Long fangs allow this ferocious predator to kill its prey with the first bite. However, a leopard can also purr, like a domestic cat. Possessing excellent developed vision, a leopard can see much at dusk better than man(6 times!). Balance when climbing trees is maintained by wide feet and tail.

The special structure of the paws also allows it to move along a horizontal surface, hanging head down, like a sloth. To find prey, it travels up to two kilometers per day. These are secretive and cautious animals. Each individual has its own territory. They prefer to rest in trees. The leopard is a solitary animal. They meet with their spouse only for breeding (usually from March to August).

Reproduction

The duration of pregnancy is about three months. The litter consists of 2 - 4 kittens, which the female gives birth to in the hollow of trees. The weight of one newborn is 150 - 250 grams. Babies are born blind, their eyes will open 10 days after birth. The fur of kittens is yellowish. Mothers feed on milk for 5 months, and become independent at the age of 9 months.

Cats and representatives cat family have always been interesting to people. These are very graceful, agile and fast animals with a beautiful unique color. Since a cat is considered a domestic animal, then this type can in no way be called endangered - as long as a person keeps cats at home, they are not in danger of extinction. However, in natural conditions There are fewer and fewer cats every year, and some species are about to disappear altogether. The clouded leopard can be classified as one of them.

Description

The clouded leopard is neither a large nor a small cat - it occupies an intermediate position, combining the signs and characteristics of both. And in terms of size, it can be called more of an average cat.

The length of the animal (excluding the tail) is approximately from 85 to 105 centimeters. The height at the withers reaches half a meter. The fluffy tail is almost the entire length of the body and can reach 90-95 centimeters. The predator's pride is covered with fur, forming a tassel at the end and decorated with black rings.

A leopard weighs about 20 kilograms; some larger individuals living in places where there are no food problems gain 5-10 kilograms more.

Clouded leopards, like a considerable number of mammals, have sexual dimorphism - the male is always larger than the female.

A distinctive feature of the clouded leopard is special structure teeth, fangs protrude forward by almost 4 centimeters. For such a small animal these are quite large teeth, which is why the clouded leopard is often compared to saber-toothed tiger. The animal’s head, like all felines, is elongated, yellow eyes with oval vertical pupils, also cat-like, the nose is pinkish, sometimes with black spots.

The paws for an animal of this size are quite short, the front ones are slightly shorter than the back ones. Large claws extend completely and hide deep into the limbs. When walking, a leopard touches the ground only with its toes, and not with its entire foot.

The color of a leopard can be compared to the color of a marbled cat. The color of the coat varies from sandy brown to dark gray. The entire surface of the body is strewn with black rosettes, the front part of which is lighter than the back, and the center has the same color as the host’s skin. The cheeks and forehead are decorated with black spots, the same are present on the stomach and paws.

Habitat

IN wildlife clouded leopard lives in tropical and subtropical forests south-eastern Asian regions: in the south of China, in Malacca, the habitat extends from the foothills of the Himalayas all the way to Vietnam, many individuals live in Bhutan, Bangladesh and the vast expanses of Thailand. Once upon a time, there was even a separate subspecies in Taiwan - the Taiwanese clouded leopard, but, to the chagrin of many cat lovers, it has long since become extinct.

About how leopards behave in natural environment habitat, little is known. Most of the information comes from observations of leopards in captivity. These animals cannot be classified as diurnal or nocturnal - they hunt at any time of the day, when it is more convenient for them. Although they prefer to do this in the dark, knowing that many of their potential victims are sleeping. Moreover, the animal hunts not only on the ground, sneaking behind the prey, tracking it, and then quickly pouncing on the prey, but also in the trees. Physical Features and belonging to the cat genus allow leopards to live under the canopies of trees, on which they climb and climb well. And they don’t just climb, but can do some kind of acrobatics on them - hang on a branch, clinging to their paws, move their heads down, and so on. Trees are mostly used as a place of rest and refuge from the ground leeches that live in Asian forests.

Each leopard has its own controlled area of ​​territory, where it considers itself to be the complete master. As a rule, the area is 30-45 square kilometers, of which 4-5 are actively used.

Reproduction

Not much is known about the life of the clouded leopard in its natural habitat. All knowledge about this was obtained through observation in captivity. According to researchers, leopards are monogamous animals.

They become sexually mature at 25–30 months. But, unlike many animals, everything is not so simple for them - in order to get to know each other and show feelings, cats need to communicate for some time, get used to each other, and spend several weeks together. Experts say that otherwise, if the female is not to the male’s liking, he will bite her to death.

In zoological gardens, the mating process occurs in winter months- from the end of November to the beginning of March, however, under natural conditions, animals can mate at other time intervals during all year round. Animals copulate many times over several days. In this case, the male usually bites the female on the neck, and she screams around the area, emitting long moans. In nature, animals perform the copulation process in high, hilly areas so that the sound can travel far.

After the mating process, the animals separate, and the care of the offspring falls entirely on the female shoulders.

Pregnancy lasts about three to three and a half months. In the second month, the belly becomes noticeable and the nipples become enlarged. When the time comes to give birth, the female climbs into the hollow of a tree, where the action takes place. The number of kittens born can be up to five, but usually the female gives birth to two cubs. They are born weighing up to 150 grams (depending on the number of births; the more, the lighter the newborn), and the body already has large spots characteristic of the species. Only the spots are completely black and only at six months of age begin to lighten in the middle.

The mother carefully licks newborns, trying to ensure that the children are always clean. She continues to do this until the kittens learn to wash themselves.

Little leopards are born blind, their eyes open after 5-10 days, in the first three weeks of life their legs are weak, they become stronger at 20-21 days, and the children begin to walk and run through the forest on their own. And after six to seven weeks they are already able to climb trees with excitement.

The mother feeds the children with milk until 10-12 weeks. Although already at 7-8 weeks he offers the heirs meat and adult food, and they do not refuse. While the mother obtains food for the offspring, they hide from enemies and dangerous animals in abundant forest thickets. Kittens live with their mother for a long time - up to ten months, gaining strength, growing and learning adult skills and hunting. At the eleventh month, matured leopards begin to live adult lives and set off to search for and develop their own new territories.

Nutrition

The clouded leopard belongs to the breed of predators and feeds mainly on animal food. He catches monkeys in the trees, catches and happily eats unwary birds, fortunately he can balance on the trees without much difficulty. It deals with the caught victim with one blow of its powerful paw. On the ground he lies in wait and catches deer, goats, wild boars. Can catch and kill a buffalo. Having caught prey, it climbs a tree, settles on a high branch and gnaws the doomed animal’s throat or breaks its back.

Being excellent swimmers, they catch and eat fish.

Enemies

The main enemy in modern conditions for clouded leopards is a person. Firstly, he cuts down forests, depriving spotted cats of their usual habitat. Secondly, he hunts animals for a beautiful skin, delicious meat– Clouded leopard meat sometimes appears on the menu of some restaurants. And in many Asian countries, especially China, teeth and claws are considered a good medicine to cure male problems. They have great value on the black market. Because of this, at one time one of the subspecies, the Taiwanese clouded leopard, was completely exterminated.

In addition, the peasants show great dissatisfaction with the fact that animals steal livestock and, trying to protect their property, wage war against forest thieves - they set traps and traps, throw poisoned meat into the forest.

Under natural conditions, animals are at enmity with other cats - tigers and panthers. They kill leopards in an attempt to eliminate competitors. That is why clouded leopards spend most of their lives in trees, so as not to meet rivals.

1. Among Asian peoples, a warrior who killed a leopard was considered a brave and courageous warrior. As a sign of special valor, he wore the skin of a defeated beast.
2. This type of leopard does not know how to roar loudly, scaring away others. He, like a domestic cat, purrs quietly and softly.
3. On average, this species of leopard lives 11-12 years. In captivity they live up to 17-8 years, but in nature - no more than 15.
4. The animal is quite peculiar and, although it is called a leopard, it is not directly related to these animals. The clouded leopard is a rather ancient species; it is believed that it is the ancestor of all current large cats existing in nature.
5. It is believed that cats are afraid of water. But this is not about smoky jaguars - they feel great in water element and swim great. According to one version, the ancestors of clouded leopards reached some islands (for example, Borneo) by swimming.

Video: Clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa)

The clouded leopard is interesting because it combines anatomical and behavioral characteristics large and small cats. He is classified as a special genus. In Latin...

Clouded leopard: photo with description, habitat and characteristics of the animal

From Masterweb

14.04.2018 22:01

The clouded leopard is interesting because it combines the anatomical and behavioral features of large and small cats. He is classified as a special genus. On Latin part of its name translates as “new cat.” The animal has no direct relationship with real leopards. It has to do with appearance, nothing more.

Appearance

The predator has an elongated body. It is very flexible, like all cats. The coat is thick and short. Although the legs are not long, the presence of hard calluses on the paws allows them to climb trees excellently. The animal is distinguished by a large massive tail with fur. It takes up half the length of his body. However, the Taiwanese clouded leopard has a much shorter tail.

The animal's skull is elongated. This sets him apart from other cats. The eyes are yellow-brown in color. The fangs are large. This is especially noticeable when the animal yawns or growls. This is associated with adaptation in the natural environment. The predator is forced to catch prey by climbing trees. In order to keep it suspended, longer teeth are needed. In addition, with the help of large fangs, the victim can be killed with one bite. The structure of the fangs makes it look like a prehistoric saber-toothed cat. The length of the upper fangs can be more than four centimeters.

Thanks to the structure of the jaw, these animals can roar, albeit very softly, and also purr. However, you should not even try to start them at home. They won't become murky.

Color

The clouded leopard is hard to miss. This is due to the characteristic color. The fur ranges from light yellow to brown. Against this background there is a pattern of spots of unequal shape. They are painted dark brown or black. They are much lighter in the middle.

The chest and abdominal areas are light with slight spotting. On the back and neck, the spots have an elongated shape. The ears are colored black, but there is a light spot in the middle. The tail has black rings that do not close together. The animal attracts not only photographers, but also poachers with its colors. This has a negative impact on the conservation of the species.

Dimensions

The predator is much larger than ordinary cats. Body length ranges from seventy to one hundred centimeters. The tail grows 75-90 centimeters. Males are larger than females. The same applies to the length of their tails.

The weight of a clouded leopard ranges from ten to twenty kilograms. Average weight females are eleven, and males are nineteen kilograms. Males are twice as large as their female companions. This difference is not found among other representatives of the cat family.

Before looking at where the clouded leopard lives, it is worth clarifying that in captivity they live up to twenty years. Their lifespan in the natural environment is unknown. They have enemies. It's about about larger cats.

Habitat

The clouded leopard is found in dense tropical forests and swamps with trees. He prefers to stay deep in forests, which are located at an altitude of up to 2.5 kilometers above sea level. We are talking about the Asian region with the adjacent islands.

The main threat to the existence of the predator was deforestation for commercial purposes and for the creation of new human settlements.

Behavior

The clouded leopard hunts both day and night. It tracks its prey from the ground, although it is capable of jumping on it from overhanging branches.

The predator has well-developed vision. He sees perfectly in the twilight. At night, it is not only its vision that helps it navigate through the trees, but also its tail and wide feet. With their help, he balances, maintaining balance. Every day, in search of prey, the animal covers a distance of one to two kilometers.

In addition, the predator swims well. This is how he differs from ordinary cats. Researchers suggest that thanks to their ability to cross expanses of water, these representatives of cats settled on small islands located between Vietnam and Borneo.

Observing an animal in its natural environment is quite difficult. It is afraid of people. Sometimes conclusions about the predator are made from interviews with local residents. Thus, it was found that representatives of cats living in Malaysia travel on the ground. They walk along paths and roads. They only rest on trees. Residents of Nepal say approximately the same thing.

Nutrition

In the photo, a clouded leopard can often be seen on a tree. It is not surprising that his main specialization is the production of birds. But the diet is also supplemented by mammals such as monkeys, goats, and wild pigs. The predator is capable of attacking a young buffalo or deer. He does not disdain reptiles, fish, and other living creatures.

In captivity, animals eat a meat diet. In addition, they are given the legs of ungulates to chew on. In addition, this is how the body of predators replenishes useful substances from tendons. They also get fruits, such as papaya pieces.

Reproduction

For most of their lives, animals prefer to live alone. Each predator has its own hunting area. It stretches for tens of kilometers. Males begin to actively search for companions only during the breeding season.

After successful mating, the female carries the cubs for three months. A hollow in a tree is chosen as a place for raising offspring. Several kittens are born there, usually about one to five. The weight of each rarely reaches two hundred grams. Babies open their eyes at 10-12 days of life. Development is quite slow. The cubs begin to walk independently twenty days after birth. Full transition to meat food occurs at ten and a half weeks. However, for another five months, babies can receive breast milk. They begin to lead an independent life at nine months. Full puberty occurs at twenty to thirty months.

Immediately after they are born, kittens' fur is yellowish-gray in color, but by six months it becomes spotted.

In captivity, reproduction can be too unpredictable. Due to the fact that males live in a limited territory, they are too aggressive. In 80% of cases after mating, they attack their companions. Females often die. Not all surviving cats produce offspring. However, zoos continue to try to revive the captive population. Thus, practice has shown that raising individuals of both sexes together reduces the aggressiveness of males. It is important that the couple live together early age when the animals are not yet one year old. Not every zoo can afford this.

There are researchers who are inclined to carry out further reproduction through artificial insemination and embryo transfers. This way you can save the lives of females and get healthy offspring.

Population status

Many wild animals are in danger of extinction. They are listed in the Red Book. The clouded leopard is no exception. There are four subspecies of this animal in total. Each of them is distributed in a specific area:

• Southern China and Indochina;
• Taiwan;
• Nepal;
• Borneo.

The Taiwanese predator is considered extinct. This state of affairs is to blame not only for deforestation, but also for poaching. The animal's skin, as well as its fangs and bones, are valued on the market. Residents of Asia have long used them in their medicine. Some restaurants offer meat from endangered species.

These cats are becoming increasingly common in European zoos. If human activity regarding the extermination of predators does not stop, soon the clouded leopard can only be seen on video or in a cage.

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